Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Leave me be

You know what?  Today was not my favorite.  It just seemed to be Trisha's Stupid Mistake Day, and while I'm all about Never Stop Learning, I am over feeling stupid because that is so 1987.  Well, 1984-1992, if I were being honest about it.  Middle school through early college was tough.

Anyhoo (and I hate it when people say that, so I'm saying it in an ironic sense, just FYI), it wasn't all bad, I guess, so we'll focus on that, shall we?

The scene: The office, me working on some project or another when this really old guy comes in.  And it would probably help to know that our biggest paper of the year was today's edition.

Me: May I help you?
Old Guy: I need six newspapers!  My wife wants to send them to our friends.
Me: Excellent!  Except I can't do that math.  [Hammering away on my really sucky adding machine.]  Um, apparently that's $4.50.
Old Guy: Duh.  I have $4.50 right here.*
*Fine, he didn't really say that, but he DID have $4.50 ready to hand to me.  I need these details BEFORE I attempt to use my adding machine, Old Guy!
Me: [Handing him the papers in front of the counter.]  Here you are!
Old Guy: Whoa.  I didn't think you were this tall when you were behind the counter.  You are a magnificent being.
Me: You are my new best friend.
Old Guy: Yeah!

(Wow, screenwriting is boring.)

So then he started telling me and Stacey how he was born here 95 years ago (!) and about his old newspaper days--sounds like he worked on the production line and maybe even had a newspaper stand or two.  This guy was pretty chill.  (Oops, again, sorry, only cool when Abby says it.)  I am traditionally a hit with the geriatric crowd, although no one has ever called me a magnificent being before.  Well, it's not this guy's fault his eyesight is whack.  He's 95, for crying out loud.

Moving RIGHT along.  Easter!  Was a good, good day.  Maybe a little too good.  My mother hosted dinner.  She's one to slip a dessert onto the sides table because there are too many desserts on the dessert table.  (Hello, Orange Charlotte, my lovely!)  It turns out people are pretty open to making a dessert into a side dish.

Let's discuss the menu, shall we?  Turkey and ham.  Stuffing.  Mashed potatoes and gravy. Salad.  Green beans.  Sweet potatoes (that Eric made and were awesome.  Can I take credit because it's my recipe?).  Veggies.  Pineapple and strawberries.  Raspberry Salad.  Rolls.  The Orange Charlotte!

Then the desserts: Cheesecake with caramel sauce.  White cupcakes with chocolate whipped cream frosting.  Frosted cookies.  Sandwich cookies.  Almond Roca.  Chocolates.

So see?  That detox I was talking about in my last post wasn't really a joke.  But it was all so, so awesome.  P.S. Homemade (almost) everything because my mommy loves me.  Honestly, having food allergies is pretty awesome sometimes.  No, I couldn't eat the Raspberry Salad (which, ironically, I brought), but I mentioned the Orange Charlotte, right?  

So yes, the food was awesome, and so was the crowd: My grandparents (89 and 88 this year). Aunt Ann and Uncle John and cousin Seth.  My parents.  Us (?).

And then my brother Tim came at the eleventh hour, who we hadn't seen since our Disneyland trip.  Well, he works long hours at night for the PO, at least for now.  And Mara totally thinks it's weird that we don't see him more often, but what would happen is that we'd go visit and be there an hour and then have to go home because that's just his schedule, and Eric is anti-"drive four hours to stay one" for some reason.  So we just send emails periodically.  Win-win!

(Sarcasm.  I miss my brother.)

I tried to pay attention (not my strong suit), so I have this to report: Seth was pretty much a bouncer during the Good Friday service in his town.  If Congress / Obama sign something than Tim might be able to keep his job.  Ann can really rock a hat.  People think The Hunger Games is violent (which it is, I guess, but revolutions are never pretty).  And Gramps will carry his own plate, thankyouverymuch, no matter how many times you ask.

Also: The girls love an egg hunt, even if it's just the two of them participating.  Ann might be on chemo, but that hasn't affected her wicked ability to hide an egg where nobody is ever going to find it.  Um, less I forget and give hints.

And then we went to Eric's family gathering!  But we'll save that for next time.  It's like I'm all Charles Dickens over here, writing a serial novel and getting paid by the word.  Except that I'm a woman and blogging and not getting paid squat, which is just the way I like it.

Dave Matthews, Trouble.  Because that's what's playing RIGHT NOW and I need a song, yo.  This was on my Bedtime Playlist for quite a while, but then iTunes said I'd listened to it like 500 times but I didn't really remember any of that because I was asleep for most of it, so I replaced it with something else.  Sorry, neither here nor there.  Anyway, I love this song.  Because trouble does NOT see.

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